About Kaleidoscope

The Kaleidoscope Project is an intermediary of the John Rex Endowment that partners with community agencies to improve the places and spaces where children live, play, and grow. We build the capacity of partner organizations to address systemic issues that increase vulnerabilities especially for Black and Brown children. As a collaborative community effort, we are focused on strengthening the social and emotional development of children in Wake County.

We know that the environments where children spend time and the relationships they form in those places are critical to their well-being and resilience throughout life. This is especially true for children whose families are impacted by structural racism.

Across Wake County, many organizations are working to support children’s development. Yet we don’t always have the opportunity to learn from or build on each other’s efforts. Kaleidoscope was created to bridge those gaps: to inspire collaboration, advance racial equity, share ideas, improve local spaces, and equip caregivers, parents, and policymakers with resources.

Through funding and partnership, Kaleidoscope supports Wake County organizations that are ready to create racially equitable environments where children can thrive.

Inspired community action is possible when:

There is a shared understanding of why social-emotional health matters and what strategies help build it.
We all recognize our roles and commit to taking action.
Every environment where children spend time is intentionally designed to help them thrive.
Decision makers prioritize social-emotional health and direct resources toward investments that develop the whole child.

The Kaleidoscope Project is dedicated to:

Creating racially equitable environments for children and families
Mobilizing a network of community leaders working toward equity
Driving positive change within systems
Building community capacity to take action

Read the blueprint for action that inspired The Kaleidoscope Project

Who is The Kaleidoscope Project?

FAQs

Intermediaries are mission-driven organizations that aim to more effectively link donors (individuals, foundations, and corporations) with organizations and individuals delivering charitable services. They come in many forms: DAFs, giving circles, community foundations, fiscally sponsored pooled funds, fund aggregators, and social ventures. More donors are using intermediaries than ever before, with DAFs in particular seeing tremendous growth in the last three years.
At their best, intermediaries serve functions that overcome obstacles that curtail the nonprofit sector’s effectiveness.
Provide an operational backbone. Some nonprofits lack the resources to build their organizational capacity and effectiveness particularly since many funders prefer that their grants go toward programmatic work rather than overhead.
Provide strategic capacity and expert guidance. Intermediaries often go far beyond regranting: many provide expertise and infrastructure that enable nonprofit initiatives to employ more sophisticated tactics than they could on their own
Connect funders and grantees. Intermediaries often connect grantors and grantees who are otherwise unable to work together—because they are based in different countries, operate on different timelines, or face a variety of other practical or legal barriers to establishing a relationship.

Why the name

The Kaleidoscope Project?

Look through a kaleidoscope, and you will always see a new perspective. With light shining in, there are many possibilities for individual pieces to come together and for something beautiful to emerge.

The Kaleidoscope Project is similar. We are bringing together a collection of voices, ideas, and actions for the benefit of Wake County children. Just like a kaleidoscope, when we all come together, we can create endless possibilities to help our kids see more positive futures.